FORGOTTEN MOTOCROSS TECH: YAMAHA AUTOMOBILES THAT ONLY JAMES BOND EVER SAW

 

Yamaha designed and built the prototype for the iconic 1967 Toyota 2000GT sport car—used in the James Bond film “You Only Live Twice.”

Motocross history is filled with examples of creative ideas that were heralded as groundbreaking, but, because of the rapid rate of change in development, sank into the swamp of forgotten technology. Although some ideas are best left abandoned, others were truly innovative (if not ultimately successful). MXA loves to reveal motocross’ tech trivia. Do you remember Yamaha’s forays into automobiles?

1992 Yamaha OX99 V12 Supercar — in 1992 went the 210-mph.

Only three V-12 Yamaha OX99s in were built.

Yamaha’s interest in the car business dates back to when it designed and built the prototype for the iconic 1967 Toyota 2000GT sport car, used in the James Bond film “You Only Live Twice.” In 1989, Yamaha entered Formula 1 as the engine supplier to the West Zakspeed team. They followed this in 1992 with the 210-mph, carbon fiber, V12 Yamaha OX99-11 Supercar (only three were built). And for the car show circuit, Yamaha designed the Cross Hub pickup truck and hired McLaren Formula 1 designer Gordon Murray to build the Yamaha Sport Ride mini-super car. But, in 2020, Yamaha announced that automobiles are not in its future plans.

2017 Yamaha Cross Hub pickup truck.

2013 Yamaha Motiv-E electric car could also accommodate gasoline engines and hybrid system.

The Gordon Murray designed Yamaha Sport Ride compact sports car.

2015 Yamaha Sport Ride mini-Supercar.

Left-hand drive Yamaha Sport Ride interior.

This two-door Yamaha coupe was a proposed project back in 2018, but by 2020 Yamaha pulled the plug on automobile projects.

Yamaha filed these design drawings to the European Union in 2018 for a design trademark on an unnamed sports car design. It is assumed that it was a close relative of the Gordon Murray designed Sport Ride prototype.

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